中

中 U+4E2D, 中 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E2D ← 丬 [U+4E2C] CJK Unified Ideographs 丮 → [U+4E2E]

Stroke order

Stroke order

中 (Kangxi radical 2, 丨+3, 4 strokes, cangjie input 中 (L), four-corner 5000₆, composition ⿻口丨)

• 仲, 冲, 𫩘, 𡉥, 妕, 㞲, 忡, 𢪠, 沖, 狆, 䦿, 𭤫, 肿, 𣐄, 𠁪, 𫡇, 迚, 𥄡, 种, 祌, 𫃞, 翀, 𦕏, 舯, 蚛, 衶, 𫡉, 𡨌, 訲, 鈡, 𬈅, 𫙄, 𩵵, 𬈴, 串, 忠, 𤆪, 盅, 㲴, 䆔, 馽, 𨌼, 𨵓, 𦬕, 𥫯, 𫑢, 𠀐
• 钟 (Simplified form of 鍾 and 鐘)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 79, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 73
• Dae Jaweon: page 158, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 28, character 10
• Unihan data for U+4E2D

simp. and trad.		中
alternative forms		𠁦 𠁧 𠁩 𠔈 𠔗

Pictogram (象形) – a flagpole. Based on archaeological evidence, the middle box has been interpreted as a drum (建鼓). This flagpole with a drum was placed in the center of a field to gather people and to detect the direction of the wind. In addition, the pronunciation of 中 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs) is reminiscent of the beating of a drum.

Shuowen interprets the character as a vertical stroke 丨 passing through the center of 口, indicating the center.

It has also been interpreted as an arrow in the center of a target.

“Middle; centre” (Pronunciation 1) > “to hit the centre; to attain” (Pronunciation 2).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t/duŋ. Cognate with Tibetan གཞུང (gzhung, “middle, center”).

Related to:

• 衷 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs, “middle; inner garment; inner feelings”);
• 仲 (OC *duŋs, “second (of the brothers or months)”).

中

1. middle; center

   居中  ―  jūzhōng  ―  to be placed in the middle

   華中／华中  ―  Huázhōng  ―  Central China

2. medium; intermediary

   中型  ―  zhōngxíng  ―  medium-size; mid-size

   這件夾克有三個尺碼：小、中、大。 [MSC, trad.]
   这件夹克有三个尺码：小、中、大。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè jiàn jiākè yǒu sān ge chǐmǎ: xiǎo, zhōng, dà. [Pinyin]

   You can get the jacket in three sizes - small, medium and large.

3. within; among; in

   水中  ―  shuǐ zhōng  ―  in the water

   我們中間有一個15歲的女孩。 [MSC, trad.]
   我们中间有一个15岁的女孩。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒmen zhōngjiān yǒu yīge 15 suì de nǚhái. [Pinyin]

   A 15-year-old girl was among us.

   他在事故中受傷。 [MSC, trad.]
   他在事故中受伤。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā zài shìgù zhōng shòushāng. [Pinyin]

   He was injured in the accident.

   • 為了夢中的橄欖樹 [MSC, trad.]
     为了梦中的橄榄树 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 齊豫 (lyricist 三毛), 橄欖樹／橄榄树 (gǎnlǎnshù)

     wèiliao mèng zhōng di gǎnlǎnshù [Pinyin]

     For the sake of the olive tree in my dreams

4. while; in the process of; during; in the middle of

   發展中國家／发展中国家  ―  fāzhǎn zhōng guójiā  ―  developing countries

   網頁正在建設中。 [MSC, trad.]
   网页正在建设中。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǎngyè zhèngzài jiànshè zhōng. [Pinyin]

   The website is under construction.

5. to be fit for

   中用  ―  zhōngyòng  ―  to be useful

   中聽／中听  ―  zhōngtīng  ―  pleasant to the ear

6. heart; innermost being
7. intermediary
8. (dialectal) all right; OK
9. (Cantonese) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

   五四中二十 [Cantonese]  ―  ng⁵ sei³ zung¹ ji⁶ sap⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  five time four equals twenty

10. Short for 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó, “China; Chinese”).

    中醫／中医  ―  zhōngyī  ―  traditional Chinese medicine

    中美關係／中美关系  ―  Zhōng Měi guānxì  ―  China–United States relation

    • 香港反送中遊行 [Cantonese, trad.]
      香港反送中游行 [Cantonese, simp.]

      hoeng¹ gong² faan² sung³ zung¹ jau⁴ hang⁴ [Jyutping]

      the Hong Kong anti-extradition demonstrations (protests in Hong Kong, 2019)

11. Short for 中學／中学 (zhōngxué, “middle school”). Used only in the abbreviation of the name.

    三中  ―  Sān Zhōng  ―  No.3 Middle School

12. 1st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "the center" (𝌆)
13. a surname

• (China):

中

1. to hit the mark; to be correct; to be successful

   導彈成功擊中目標。 [MSC, trad.]
   导弹成功击中目标。 [MSC, simp.]

   Dǎodàn chénggōng jī zhòng mùbiāo. [Pinyin]

   The missile successfully hit the target.

   真讓他說中了。 [MSC, trad.]
   真让他说中了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhēn ràng tā shuō zhòng le. [Pinyin]

   He turns out to be correct.

2. to be hit by; to suffer; to be affected by

   中暑  ―  zhòngshǔ  ―  to suffer a heat stroke

   他試圖爬走時肩膀中槍了。 [MSC, trad.]
   他试图爬走时肩膀中枪了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā shìtú pá zǒu shí jiānbǎng zhòngqiāng le. [Pinyin]

   As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder.

   他中了肺炎。  ―  Tā zhòng le fèiyán.  ―  He has contracted pneumonia.

3. to win (a prize, a lottery)

   中樂透／中乐透  ―  zhòng lètòu  ―  win a lottery

   中咗六合彩 [Cantonese]  ―  zung³ zo² luk⁶ hap⁶ coi² [Jyutping]  ―  won the lottery

• (Singapore Hokkien) 著 (tio̍h)

Others:

• → Vietnamese: đúng (“correct”)
• → Japanese: 中(チュン) (chun, “red dragon (mahjong tile)”)

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: ちゅう (chū, Jōyō)^{←ちゆう (tyuu, historical)}、じゅう (jū, Jōyō ^†)^{←ぢゆう (dyuu, historical)}
• Kan-on: ちゅう (chū, Jōyō)^{←ちゆう (tyuu, historical)}、じゅう (jū, Jōyō ^†)^{←ぢゆう (dyuu, historical)}
• Kun: なか (naka, 中, Jōyō)、うち (uchi, 中)、あたる (ataru, 中る)
• Nanori: あたり (atari)、あつ (atsu)、あつる (atsuru)、かなえ (kanae)、かなめ (kaname)、ただし (tadashi)、とうる (tōru)、とおる (tōru)、ひとし (hitoshi)、みつる (mitsuru)、わたる (wataru)

Kanji in this term
中
ちゅう Grade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

• (Tokyo) ちゅう [chúꜜù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɨː]

中(ちゅう) • (chū) 

1. the middle, medium

   大(だい)中(ちゅう)小(しょう) ― dai chū shō ― large, medium and small

2. an average, neither good nor poor mark

   中(ちゅう)の出(で)来(き)映(ば)え ― chū no dekibae ― an average performance

3. the second volume of a three-volume set

• 御(おん)中(ちゅう) (onchū)

中(ちゅう) • (chū) 

1. center, middle
2. medium, intermediate, middle(-level)
3. neutral, middle
4. within (a specific range)
5. among (friends, company, etc.)
6. hitting (the center, mark, etc.)
7. Short for 中国 (Chūgoku): China, Chinese

   日(にっ)中(ちゅう)関(かん)係(けい) ― Ni'chū kankei ― Sino-Japanese relations

8. Short for 中学生 (chūgakusei): junior high school student

中(ちゅう) • (-chū) 

1. during..., being in the process of doing...

   ダウンロード中(ちゅう) ― daunrōdo-chū ― downloading; download in progress

   メンテ中(ちゅう) ― mente-chū ― currently in maintenance

   インストール中(ちゅう) ― insutōru-chū ― installing

   準備(じゅんび)中(ちゅう) ― junbichū ― currently in preparation

Kanji in this term
中
じゅう Grade: 1
on'yomi

The rendaku (連濁) form of chū above.

• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑɨː]

中(じゅう) • (-jū) ^{←ぢゆう (-dyuu)?}

1. during, in the course of, throughout

   世(せ)界(かい)中(じゅう) ― sekaijū ― throughout the world

   体(からだ)中(じゅう) ― karadajū ― throughout the body

2. all over, everywhere

The distinction between the suffixes じゅう (-jū) and ちゅう (-chū) can be confusing: じゅう (-jū) means throughout, in all places, as in 一日中 (ichinichijū, “all day long”) or 体中 (karadajū, “throughout the body”), while ちゅう (-chū) means within, but not everywhere, as in 授業中 (jugyōchū, “in class, during class”). Contrast in “I worked on this all day long” with “I worked on this in class (but not necessarily for the entire time)”.

• 一(ひと)晩(ばん)中(じゅう) (hitobanjū)

Kanji in this term
中
なか Grade: 1
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.

【なか】 [noun] 中: inside [noun] 中: middle [noun] 中: among (a group or mass) [noun] 中: during (time); amidst

(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Kanji in this term
中
うち Grade: 1
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.

【内うち】2 [noun] the inside, within (a physical location) [noun] something between, among [noun] something while, during, inside or within a span of time [noun] (when used possessively) one’s own, my, our [noun] This term needs a translation to English. [pronoun] (informal, women's speech) I, me

(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Kanji in this term
中
ちゅん Grade: 1
irregular

Borrowing from Mandarin 中 (zhōng).

• (Tokyo) チュン [chùń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɨ̃ɴ]

中(チュン) • (chun) 

1. (mahjong) Short for 紅中 (honchun): a red dragon tile
2. (mahjong) a 役 (yaku, “winning hand combination”) with a meld of red dragon tiles, worth 1 翻 (han, “double”)

   Hypernym: 役牌 (yakuhai, yakupai)

• 三(さん)元(げん)牌(パイ) (sangenpai, “dragon tiles”): 白(ハク) (haku, “white dragon”), 𤼵(ハツ) (hatsu, “green dragon”), 中(チュン) (chun, “red dragon”)

Various nanori readings.

中(あたり) • (Atari) 

1. a surname

中(あたる) • (Ataru) 

1. a female given name

中(なかば) • (Nakaba) 

1. a surname

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	듀ᇰ (Yale: tyùng)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[1]	가온〮ᄃᆡᆺ (Yale: kàwóntòy-s)	듀ᇰ (Yale: tyùng)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕuŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [중]

Wikisource

中 (eumhun 가운데 중 (gaunde jung))

1. Hanja form^? of 중 (“average (grade or class)”).
2. Hanja form^? of 중 (“middle; medium”).
3. Hanja form^? of 중 (“amongst”).
4. Hanja form^? of 중 (“in the course of; during”).
5. Hanja form^? of 중 (“China (in compounds or in news media)”).

Hanja in this term
中

中 • (Jung) (hangeul 중)

1. (in news headlines) Short for 中(중)國(국) (Jungguk, “China”).

   韓·中 관계 ― Han·Jung gwangye ― South Korea – China relations

In news headlines, this is usually written solely in the hanja form, even in contemporary Korean text otherwise devoid of any hanja.

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

• 希 (*-huy) (probably represents lenition of initial *k)

中 (*-kuy, *-huy)

1. in; at; amid (locative case marker, attested in isolation only before the eleventh century)
   • c. 690, 得烏 (Deugo), “慕竹旨郞歌 (Mojukjirang-ga)”, in 三國遺事 (Samguk Yusa) [Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms]:

     蓬次叱巷中宿尸夜音

     TAPWOco-s KWULHE-kuy CA-l PAm

     nights where you will sleep in a village of mugwort plants

   • c. 740, 忠談師 (Chungdamsa), “讚耆婆郞歌 (Changiparang-ga)”, in 三國遺事 (Samguk Yusa) [Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms]:

     川理叱磧惡希

     NAri-s COPYek-huy

     by the pebbles of the stream

   • c. 965, 均如 (Gyunyeo), “常隨彿學歌 (Sangsubulhak-ga)”, in 均如傳 (Gyunyeo-jeon) [Works of Gyunyeo]:

     命乙施好尸歲史中置

     MYENG-ur SI-hwo-l SOsi-kuy-two

     even in the age that I cast my life away

• Conventionally reconstructed as *-kuy because Idu manuals in Han'gul read this character as 희 (-huy), which is believed to reflect an ancient reading tradition. Middle Korean intervocalic /h/ is usually lenited from Old Korean */k/ based on internal and dialectal reconstruction. The non-lenited form also survives directly in pronouns: 이ᅌᅥ긔〮 (ìngèkúy, “here”), 뎌ᇰ어긔〮 (tyèngèkúy, “there”), etc.
• Assumed to be a logogram borrowed from Chinese, as no Chinese reading or native Korean equivalent of 中 whose phonology is even remotely similar to *kuy is known. The Chinese word often bears a locative meaning as well, and there is a certain parallel in the Vietnamese Nôm use of the same character to write the native preposition trong (“in; inside”).
• First-millennium Old Korean also featured the locative particle 良 (*-a). The two particles were compounded as 良中 (*-a-kuy) as early as the seventh century. The compounded form becomes predominant in the corpus after the eleventh century, after which 中 *-kuy in isolation is rarely encountered (although a likely Middle Korean reflex is attested in Hangul form as late as the fifteenth century). The compounded form eventually fused into a single morpheme, becoming the Middle Korean locative particle 에〮/애〮 (-éy/áy).
• At some point, perhaps even before widespread compounding, */k/ was lenited to */h/. Lenition may have begun as early as the eighth century, given the attestation of the 希 form in the poem 讚耆婆郞歌 Changiparang-ga, whose claimed date of composition is 740.
• Nam Pung-hyun suggests that 矣 (*-uy), another apparent locative particle attested in the Old Korean corpus, should be connected to 中 (*-kuy.) He classifies both as "uy-type locatives", in contrast to 良 (*-a) as an "a-type locative", and speculates that the uy-type locatives were reserved for animate beings while 良 could be used indiscriminately.

• Old Korean: 良中 (*-akuy) (compounded with 良 (*-a))
  • Middle Korean: 에〮 (-éy)
    • Korean: 에 (-e)
• Middle Korean: 희 (-huy) (rare)

• 良 (*-a) (locative case marker)
• 矣 (*-uy) (locative case marker)
• 良中 (*-akuy) (locative case marker predominant after the eleventh century)

• 배대은 [baedaeeun] (1996) “이두 처격조사의 통시적 고찰 [idu cheogyeokjosaui tongsijeok gochal, A diachronic study of locative case markers in Idu]”, in Baedalmal, volume 21, pages 139–156
• 이승재 [iseungjae] (2000) “차자표기 자료의 격조사 연구 [chajapyogi jaryoui gyeokjosa yeon'gu, Study of case markers in the Chinese-based orthography [of Korean]]”, in Gugeo Gukmunhak, volume 127, pages 107–132
• Hwang Seon-yeop (2006). "Godae gugeo-ui cheogyeok josa" 고대국어의 처격조사] ["The locative case markers of Old Korean"]. Hanmal Yeon'gu Hakhoe Jeon'guk Haksul Daehoe (conference). Seongnam, South Korea. pp. 35–48.
• Nam Pung-hyun (2012) “Old Korean”, in Tranter, Nicolas, editor, The Languages of Japan and Korea, Routledge, →ISBN, pages 41–72

中: Hán Việt readings: trung (陟(trắc)弓(cung)切(thiết))^{[1][2][3][4][5]}, trúng^{[1][2][3][4][5]}
中: Nôm readings: trúng^{[1][2][3][4][6]}, trong^[1][2][3][7], trung^[1][2][4][6], truồng^[3][4][5][6], đúng^[3], truông^[7]

1. Chữ Hán form of trung (“middle”).
2. Chữ Hán form of Trung (“Sino-”).
3. Chữ Hán form of trúng (“to hit”).
4. Nôm form of trong (“in; inside; within”).